


Immortal Things

by navaan



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Fandom Stocking 2015, Immortality, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 13:33:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5628400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor goes to find Jack after the episode <i>The Woman Who Lived</i>, feeling like he needs reassurance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Immortal Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Trobadora](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trobadora/gifts).



> Written for Trobadora's stocking at [](http://fandom-stocking.dreamwidth.org/profile)[](http://fandom-stocking.dreamwidth.org/)**fandom_stocking** 2015.

He goes to look for Jack the moment he backs out of there. 

Ashildr’s face in the background of that picture taken by a phone haunts him, but he’s not going to admit it, not even to himself. He wants to go find River, but the last thing he remembers is her grave and he’s still not sure how he could face her now, without giving it away, and you’d think it was easier to think about the grave of someone who was never buried because they died the day they met you in a library and you had better ideas for them. 

He just _hates_ endings.

Always hated endings.

Sometimes he thinks he ran from Gallifrey, because being stuck there was like never even _beginning_.

He does not make a conscious decision to go looking for Jack. His body just springs into action and before he knows it he’s on his way, only becoming aware where he’s going when the Tardis gives a small, satisfied  hum and the Doctor becomes suddenly aware of a presence that doesn’t quite belong and knows the Tardis has once again made the decision for him that he had not yet been ready for. Relief floods him. He’s not sure when the wrong feeling of an impossibility in time and space has become this: Soothing. Reassuring.

But that’s what the feeling is now. A balm to his frayed nerves.

He is out of the door before he has even looked at where it is the Tardis has dropped him off this time. The door opens to a big market place bustling with life. Humans and Gerbons and some Hyaths are walking around him, not even noticing him or the blue box that appeared in their midst. The crowd around him, the smells and sounds and colors of it all should be confusing, but that too soothes his nerves. And there is only one man he has eyes for right now and _he_ has certainly noticed the Tardis. 

He’s sitting outside a little food stall munching away on the local specialty of Gern chips and he’s grinning at the doctor with a raised eyebrow. “Doctor? It’s been so long!” he calls out and sounds cheerful. With twinkling blue eyes he looks him over, gets up to meet him half-way. “Did the thing on Pargovia already happen for you?”

He nods. It’s the last thing he remembers too. It been so long. Sometime before Clara getting lost in New New New New Jersey and sometime after the horrible thing with the mummy on the train. Jack had always been there, just a tip of a lever away, space and time never enough to keep them apart, even Jack’s factness not enough to mess up their complicated and intertwined timelines. 

“Something wrong?” Jack asks as he gets up. “Or are you just grumpy again?” He smiles, so blinding and happy.

It would be infectious if not for the gnawing uneasy feeling eating away at the Doctor’s innards. The feeling mingles with the strangeness, the tingling that always comes over him when he’s around Jack. Impossible, perfect Jack.

He doesn’t say hello. He does not speak a greeting. In one step he’s in Jack’s space and kisses him. He needs to feel. Needs this feeling to chase away his demons. The unease.

“Wow,” Jack says as he pulls away from the kiss, still smiling, but his eyes a tiny bit too neutral. If anyone in the universe knows the Doctor it’s Jack and now he knows something is up.  “What brought this on? Not that I’m complaining.”

“Why do you always think something is wrong?” the Doctor complains automatically, waving his hands around in what he hopes is a distracting fashion. “Nothing is wrong. You’re just growing paranoid in your old age.”

“Hmm.” Jack looks him over with a raised eyebrow. “I suppose we’ll not start with the running right away then? Not too long though, right? Can’t wait. Always the best part.”

“Good, good,” the Doctor says, as if he hasn’t heard and follows Jack back towards the food stall.

He doesn’t smile. He doesn’t says. He doesn’t admit. 

Jack doesn’t ask more questions.

It’s how they do things. Simple. Complicated.

The Doctor feels lighter already, as Jack takes his hand and pulls him along.

At least one immortal thing out here in the universe does not hate him, even after all the reasons he’s given him over time - will still give him in the future.

Jack will always be there.

The Doctor will always be grateful for that.

"Don't be lazy them. Finish your meal and lets leave. It's not like you're growing any younger."

"At least _I_ don't look the part of the ancient," Jack returns.

"Of course you do. When did you last into a mirror?" the Doctor asks roughly. He feels much better indeed.


End file.
